Wednesday 26 January 2011 European Water Vole - Star of Stage and Screen

The European water vole (Arvicola terrestris) was considered a separate species from Arivicola amphibius until 1857. At that time the two were found to be the same species and is generally referred to as Arivicola amphibius. It is found all over Great Britain, north and central Europe and in parts of Russia digging nests in the banks of streams, slow moving rivers and other waterways. Their nests have many rooms, and some are used for food storage for the long winter.

The cute aspect and busy nature of the water vole has captured the imagination of authors and their public. Ratty, the main character in The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame was actually a water vole. Also, in Stella Gibbons’ comic novel and film Cold Comfort Farm one of the characters talks to water voles throughout the story.

They prefer to live in thick riparian vegetation which protects them from predators when they are above ground. They don’t like trampled grass or trees where predators can hide. The American mink was the main predator and almost hunted the voles to extinction (see also this article). They are protected now in the UK and are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) list as Least Concern.

Water voles are commonly mistaken for rats and called water rats in some places even though they have fur on their ears, paws and tails and have short noses. They have chubby faiteofeverything.com/animals/mammals/Primates/">Primates